10 DIY Halloween Decorating Ideas

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Halloween is a holiday that can let your imagine run wild and when it comes to decorating your home before Oct. 31, the sky is the limit. Inspiration can be hard to come, even for the best of us, and that is why we are here to lend a helping hand. Whether it's creating a mummy door or a witch on a broom, there are endless possibilities for decorating your home for Halloween. Below are 10 homemade Halloween decoration tips.

1. Flying Bats and Ghosts

Every Halloween needs to include some bats and ghosts. Decorate your lighting fixtures or tops of your doors with bats and ghosts simply by using the bottom of some egg cartons and leaves from outside. Cut out the bottom of the cartons and use a magic marker to color it black. Add eyes for the full effect. Go a step further by taking leaves from outside, spray paint them white, color in some eyes, and hang them along with your bats.

2. Ghost Jugs

Let's move outside so we can impress (or terrify) those trick-or-treaters. Simply take an empty milk carton and draw the face of your imaginary ghost. Then, cut a hole outside the back of the jug and throw in some Christmas lights you plan to use in a few months. Simply put, with just $3 (or the cost of milk at your local grocery store), you can greatly update your Halloween curb appeal.

3. Halloween Ornaments

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Clearly, there is some holiday crossover, but why use certain materials only one time a year? Let's take out those rustic Christmas ornaments and turn them into Halloween ornaments. Extra materials you will need include newspaper or paper mache, paint, glue and some string. Cover your ornaments (which can be purchased for as little as $0.50 a pop) with the paper mache/newspaper. Then, start painting Halloween designs such as witch legs or pumpkin faces and let it dry. As soon as it does, hang the ornaments all around the house. Hopefully, your new decorations look something like this.

4. Carving or Painting Pumpkins

An oldie, but a goodie. Anyone who gets into the Halloween feel has those extra pumpkins lying around. Make sure you are using each one to the fullest and not wasting any of those valuable decorations. Make them stand out by painting the pumpkins white and adding some creepy designs. On the other hand, you always have the option to carve them out and create a silly face or try something more creative like these examples from DigsDigs.

5. The Mummy Door

This may be the easiest of our decorating tips with the only necessary supply items being toilet paper and colored tape. We recommend painting tape as this will not ruin the finishings or remove any paint on your current doors. Tape the edges of the door yellow and then use some black tap for a thick horizontal bar approximately half way up the door. Use white tape over black tape to add some eyes. Then, attach strips of toilet paper from one side to the other, making your mummy door complete.

6. The Mummy Family

Sticking with our mummy theme, why not turn your new speakers into a Halloween decor? Go out and grab some burlap or muslin (can buy cheap at Walmart) and wrap it around any portable speakers you have lying around the house. Tape them around your speakers and then take a magic marker to add black eyes. If you are nervous about those new speakers, you can always go out and buy strips of wood and build your own family. Our friend, Kirsti Koo shows how it's done.

7. Bringing Nature Inside

We have already touched on leaves and pumpkins, but now we are going to throw in some pine cones for your table centerpiece. Combining the likes of Halloween and fall, simply go grab some pine cones from your yard. Take extra small pumpkins and paint them white. Once the paint has dried, take the pine cones and pumpkins and put them in a clear jar, perhaps used for flowers or other centerpieces. Organize the jar with maybe some extra leaves and you have crated your first Halloween/fall table centerpiece. Grab some inspiration from Indulgy.

8. The Pumpkin Cooler

Nothing says fall like football and tailgates. Let's combine our passion for Halloween with our love for sport by making a pumpkin cooler. Take a large pumpkin and make sure you carve everything out. Cut the pumpkin in half so it looks like a big bowl. Then, add a mixing bowl inside the pumpkin. Fill it with ice and simply add your beverage of choice. This tactic can also be used for any Halloween party decoration or even fall dances at schools. See some examples on this Halloween Pinterest board inspired by Martha Stewart.

9. The Halloween Dinner Table

It's always nice to get together with friends, but why not create a dinner party that they will be talking about for weeks or sharing on their social networks. There are endless possibilities to create a Halloween dining table, but many basic strategies include black and orange plates, fake mice, black flowers, caution tape or darkened tablecloths. If you really want to impress them, buy styrofoam chains and hang them from your chandeliers. View what the experts do at Bubblegum and Duct Tape.

10. The Hanging Witch

When flying on a broom, there is not telling where you could end up. Sometimes, witches find themselves on the side of your home. If you have a flag pole on the side of the house, replace it with a broom. Then, go to your local arts and crafts or Halloween store to buy a cheap witch outfit and hang it from the broom. Above your front door would be perfect. Should it get windy Halloween night, the trick-or-treaters might even have a surprise from above.

Get Help from Local Pros

Looking for other Halloween or general interior design tips. Check out our interior design guide to turn any room into your masterpiece.